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Head to head

CMC Markets vs XChief

CMC Markets is licensed by FCA in the United Kingdom, BaFin in the European Union, ASIC in Australia, MAS in Singapore, CIRO in Canada, FMA (New Zealand) in New Zealand and DFSA in the United Arab Emirates (DIFC). XChief has no licence we could confirm on a regulator's register. The licence that applies to you depends on where you live, so check which company you would contract with before comparing anything else.

Minimum deposits start at $0 at CMC Markets and $0 at XChief (the xPRIME account needs $500). Both offer negative balance protection and segregated client money.

Facts last checked: CMC Markets on 20 October 2026, XChief on 20 October 2026.

CMC Markets profileXChief profile
Broker 1
Broker 2
Broker 3

Monthly cost uses the account chosen in each slot: cost per lot × your lots. Swap and other fees are extra. The lowest monthly cost is highlighted only as a fact about cost, not as a recommendation.

Broker
CMC MarketsStrictly regulatedRead the profile
XChiefRead the profile
Comparing
CMC MarketsUnited Kingdom
XChiefxPRIME account

Overview

Founded
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
Fomboni, Mwali (Comoros)
Official websites
  • cmcmarkets.com
  • cmcinvest.com
  • xchief.com
Facts last checked
20 October 2026
20 October 2026

Regulation and protection

Company you would contract with
CMC Markets UK plc
No licence listed
Regulator
FCA
United Kingdom
No licence listed
Regulation level
Strictly regulated
No licence listed
Licence number
173730
Check the register
No licence listed
Clients this company serves
UK residents (spread betting, CFDs and FX Active)
No licence listed
All licences held
  • FCA (United Kingdom)
  • BaFin (European Union)
  • ASIC (Australia)
  • MAS (Singapore)
  • CIRO (Canada)
  • FMA (New Zealand) (New Zealand)
  • DFSA (United Arab Emirates (DIFC))
None listed
Segregated client money
Yes
Yes
Negative balance protection
Yes
Yes
Compensation scheme
FSCS (UK, CMC Markets UK plc clients); other countries have their own schemes or none
None

Costs

Your monthly cost
No accounts listed
$70$7 per lot × 10 lots
Cost per lot (EUR/USD)
No accounts listed
$7
Spread from
No accounts listed
0.0 pips
Typical EUR/USD spread
No accounts listed
0.1 pips
Commission per lot (round turn)
No accounts listed
$6
Typical GBP/USD spread
Not yet checked
0.3 pips
Typical USD/JPY spread
Not yet checked
0.2 pips
Typical XAU/USD spread
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Swap-free account
Not yet checked
Yes

Leverage and margin

Maximum retail leverage
1:30 on major currency pairs (UK and EU retail clients)
Up to 1:1000 on forex (lower as account equity rises)
Retail leverage by asset class
  • Major currency pairs: 1:30
  • Other currency pairs: 1:20
  • Other commodities and non-major indices: 1:10
  • Share CFDs and spread bets: 1:5
  • Forex (equity under $3: 1:1000
  • Metals (equity under $3: 1:500
  • Commodities and indices (equity under $3: 1:50
  • Cryptocurrencies: 1:5
  • US shares: 1:2
Margin call level
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Stop-out level
50% of margin (UK and EU retail close-out rule)
30% (CENT, Classic+, DirectFX); 50% (xPRIME)

Account

Minimum deposit (this account)
No accounts listed
$500
Base currencies
No accounts listed
USD, EUR, GBP
Execution
No accounts listed
Market execution, MetaTrader 5, $3 / €3 / £3 commission per side on forex and metals

Platforms and features

Platforms
  • CMC web platform
  • CMC mobile app
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • TradingView
  • MetaTrader 4
  • MetaTrader 5
  • xChief mobile app
Markets
300+ currency pairs on its own platform (175+ on MetaTrader 4), indices, commodities, shares, ETFs, bonds and share baskets as spread bets and CFDs
Up to 32 currency pairs, metals, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies and 95 US share CFDs (xPRIME account)
Demo account
Not yet checked
Yes
Copy trading
Not yet checked
Yes
Expert advisors (automated trading)
Yes
Yes
News trading allowed
Not yet checked
Not yet checked
Guaranteed stops
Not yet checked
Not yet checked

Deposits and withdrawals

Deposit methods
Not yet checked
  • Bank transfer (SWIFT
  • SEPA
  • FPS)
  • Cryptocurrency
Withdrawal fee
No charge from CMC for deposits or withdrawals (UK site)
The deposit page lists 0% for bank transfer and crypto; the agreement allows extra fees if you deposit and withdraw without trading
Inactivity fee
£10 a month (or currency equivalent) after a year with no trading, only taken while the account holds money
$20 one-off, then $20 a month, while an account is inactive

Support

Customer support
24-hour phone line Monday to Friday (UK)
24/7 by live chat, Telegram, WhatsApp, Viber and email

Our notes

Strengths
  • Every company we checked holds a licence from a strict or standard regulator, from the FCA to the DFSA
  • UK client money is held in segregated accounts under the FCA's client money rules, with FSCS cover for eligible claims
  • No minimum deposit on the UK site and no charge from CMC for deposits or withdrawals
  • Four account types, including a cent account with no minimum deposit
  • Negative balance protection and segregated client money are stated in its risk disclosure
  • Leverage is cut automatically as account equity grows, which limits the size of positions on larger accounts
Watch out for
  • Inactivity fee of £10 a month after a year without trading
  • The UK site quotes minimum spreads (from 0.5 pips, or 0.0 pips plus commission on FX Active), not typical spreads, so check live prices before you compare
  • The FCA has warned about clone firms using CMC Markets' details, including ibplatform.info, ib-platform.info, ibplatform.co and marketstradeltd.com
  • Says xChief Ltd holds Mwali International Services Authority (MISA) licence T2023379; we could not confirm it on MISA's register on 2026-10-20 (the register blocked automated access).
  • Says xChief ZA (Pty) Ltd is authorised by the FSCA as FSP 54829; we could not confirm it on the FSCA register on 2026-10-20 (the register could not be reached). That company only introduces clients; accounts are opened with xChief Ltd in Comoros.
  • Leverage up to 1:1000 and heavy use of bonuses, no-deposit offers and trading credits
  • Inactive accounts pay $20 and then $20 a month

Risk warnings

The buttons to a broker’s website above the table are partner links: we may earn a commission if you open an account through them. That never changes the facts shown here. Trading leveraged products such as forex and CFDs carries a high risk of losing money rapidly, and most retail accounts lose money. Each broker’s own warning:

  • CMC Markets: Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 69% of retail investor accounts lose money when spread betting and/or trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets, CFDs, OTC options or any of our other products work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

Open this comparison in the full tool to share a link with your own accounts and companies chosen.

Other head-to-head pages

Cost per lot is the typical EUR/USD spread in busy hours × $10, plus any round-turn commission, for one standard lot. “Not yet checked” means we have not confirmed that fact yet. This page compares facts; it does not rank the brokers or recommend either. Confirm costs and licences on each broker’s site and the regulator’s public register before opening an account: see how we review brokers and check a broker yourself.

Nothing on this page is financial advice. Read the full disclaimer.

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